Abstract This article analyzes tobacco products photographed at informal points of sale in the city of Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay, located in a land-border area with Ponta Porã (MS), Brazil. The study is the result of a technical visit by DITAB/INCA to so-called twin border cities, characterized by free population transit and intense trade - including tobacco products - with minimal customs enforcement. Aiming to understand how visual strategies are mobilized to communicate symbolic meanings, circumvent health regulations, and segment markets, the research adopted an approach inspired by situated digital methods, analyzing an empirical archive of photos and videos. The analysis focused on three layers: product visibility, visual grammar, and symbolic content. Four recurring visual categories were identified: child-oriented appeal, luxury/status appeal and rustic/informal presentation. The chromatic analysis revealed the strategic use of colors, articulating cultural, aesthetic, and commercial values. The results indicate that visual aesthetics play a central role in legitimizing and maintaining tobacco use in contexts of regulatory vulnerability, highlighting the importance of understanding cross-border trade dynamics when formulating tobacco control policies. The study proposes an innovative adaptation of digital methods to empirical field data, contributing to visual studies in public health.
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